5 top comic creators appearing at Motor City Comic Con

More than 160 comic book artists and writers will be attending this year's Motor City Comic Con — including talents who've worked on major titles like "Superman" and "Spider-Man."

Whether they're Michiganders like John Ostrander (who has written many "Star Wars" titles for Dark Horse Comics and DC Comics' "Batman") or from afar like England's Simon Bisley (best known for his work on DC's "Lobo" and album covers for the heavy metal band Danzig), the creators will be signing their work, mingling with fans and even doing commissions in some cases. (Prices vary widely.)

Here are some of the highlight names:

Neal Adams.(Photo: Motor City Comic Con)

Neal Adams: The renowned artist is this year's special guest and is making his Motor City Comic Con debut. An outspoken advocate for creators' rights, Adams was instrumental in securing pensions for Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in the mid-1970s. He has left his mark on DC's "Batman" and "Green Lantern/Green Arrow," as well as Marvel's "X-Men" and "Avengers." Adams drew "Batman" in the late 1960s, moving the character away from the campy 1966-68 Adam West TV series and back to his dark, gritty roots. www.nealadams.com.

Michael Golden: Golden has been illustrating comics for more than 35 years. His contribution to Marvel's "X-Men" mythos is co-creating Rogue. A sought-after cover artist, his work can be seen on the covers of comics like "Batman," "Nightwing," various "G.I. Joe" titles, various "Superman" titles, "Doctor Strange," "Star Wars" and more.

James O'Barr: Detroit native O'Barr created, wrote and illustrated "The Crow," a dark, noirish comic series initially published by Michigan-based Caliber Comics in 1989 and set in Detroit. It made the jump from underground sensation to mainstream hit in the 1994 movie of the same name, starring the late Brandon Lee. It was followed by three sequels and 1998's short-lived TV series "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven." To date, the original graphic novel has been translated into more than a dozen languages and has sold more than 750,000 copies worldwide.